Listen, Brat!
by AndixxYukie
Summary: Reader was really bratty. A brat who never listens. And that just might get 'em killed. Not with Levi around, though.


He was the very first one to ever call me a brat! Can you believe his nerve? But I need to learn to ignore him. There is no way I'd quit or let him kick me out – not after what happened.

 ** _"No! You can't just have me marry some stranger!" I yelled, my temper spiraling out of control._**

 ** _And just like me, my father's face was contorted in his rage. "I am the father – the head of the family! You'd do well to listen to me, (Y/N)! I never should have let you play with swords."_**

 ** _"Really?" I remembered that he was the one who taught me how to fight in the first place. Father changed._**

 ** _"Just do as I say, (Y/N). It is a good match with Alexis. You will be set for life! You won't need for anything like those peasants in the outer districts."_**

 _ **"Oh yeah? Well, I'd rather be one of those peasants in the outer districts than get married to that Alexis. You know what, father? I'd take it even farther than the outer district! I'd go outside these damn walls! I'd rather be a Survey Corps soldier and get eaten by a Titan than stay here!"**_

Out of spite, I walked away and never came back. True to my word, I enlisted in the military. After three years of training, I graduated the top of my batch. After which, I entered the Survey Corps. It was just after the wall Maria reclamation program, too. Meaning there are a lot of vacancies.

And as luck would have it, I got assigned to the so – called _Special Operations Squad_. It's a brand new squad, with a brand new leader.

"Tsk. You're the newbie?" Said this man, called Levi. That's captain Levi for me, though. He's my squad leader, and this squad functions differently than the other ones. How? I'm not quite sure yet – honestly, I don't really know what this _special operations_ is.

"Yes, sir." I saluted. "(L/N) (Y/N), sir!" to my surprise, he handed me a broom. An effing broom? Before I could stop myself, I lost my composure as a soldier and asked, "what's this?"

Levi glared at me. He looked so offended right now, but I am too! Why the hell is he handling me a broom?

"Listen here, brat." I can't help but notice lingered on the word brat. "Every member of my squad need to learn how to clean up their mess before anything else."

He stepped closer, leaning down a bit so his eyes are directly looking at mine. "Are we clear, brat."

"Yes." Despite my lack of respect, he deemed it good enough and left me with the broom.

"The heck am I going to do with this?" I looked around the room, and it was already clean! Ugh! Maybe the special operations is cleaning up what's already clean! I sighed. I might as well as just sweep around.

"I can't believe it! Three years of training all for this?" But I got no other choice now, do I? It's either this or go back home.

Fifteen minutes into it, though, I actually got very immersed. Checking every nook and cranny of the room, so as the shelves and windows. But that doesn't mean my mouth was shut the whole time.

"I can't believe – ugh!" I lifted a set of books once I was done wiping down the shelf, "why do we even need books!"

"Do you just whine all day?"

"Shi –!" I whipped my head back, and lo and behold, my captain was back, with a teacup in hand.

"No. Sometimes I just punch walls." Then I turned back to sorting.

"You can't help being a brat, can you?"

"Excuse me?!" With my fists clenched, I dropped the books and walked over to where he's sitting. He just sighed – an exhausted sigh.

"Let me guess, _brat,_ " – the way he lingered on brat is so annoying! – "you're running away from something."

I froze. That was spot on. I was careful – no one knows anything. So, how?

"You came to the wrong place. One wrong move out there, and you're dead. No matter how good you were during training, the real thing is something else. Especially since you think that all there is to a soldier is his sword."

He left the room again after that, leaving me to my thoughts.

A month after that, I went on my first ever expedition.

"Listen, brat!" Levi said. "The moment we step outside this gate, Titans are going to surround us. Be ready for hell."

At a loss for words, I nodded. It was hell, alright.

It was the first time I ever saw a Titan. They're ugly, macabre creatures. Creatures that shouldn't exist even in nightmares. Despite the initial shock, though, my training kicked in immediately. I went after every Titan I saw – finally having the outlet for all my pent-up frustrations.

1 … 2 … 3 … One by one they fell. I'm getting the hang of it.

"Captain! Two more incoming, a 10 – meter class from the left and a 6 – meter class from the right!" Eld barked.

"Brat, Olou, come with me. We'll take on the 10 – meter. The rest of you go after the 6 – meter!"

"Yes, sir!"

We all went zipping to our assigned tasks, and as quick as lightning we were upon the 10 – meter class. It was just standing there, not even reacting to us. The captain signaled for me and Olou to do the routine – cut out sight, then the limbs. But that'll waste our time. It's literally just standing there!

I shook my head and went it for the nape. "Easy kill." I smirked. Of course, it was easy. It was like a dead tree.

"No, (Y/N)!" Levi yelled. Too late.

I was almost there when the Titan suddenly turned! It's head – no, it's mouth! – was rushing towards me. Rather I was rushing towards it. Just when I thought I was gonna die, an arm wrapped around my stomach and pulled me away.

Black hair was almost all I could see, and a faint smell of antiseptic. I looked back at the Titan and it was already evaporating. Did Olou go in for the kill? Or was it Levi?

Dropping me uncourteously on the ground, Levi leaned down so we met at eye level.

"I told you before, brat. One wrong move and you're dead. Recklessness is stupidity! And being stupid means you'll die first!"

He's right. He was right.

"I'm … so – rry." It was hard to get my voice to work again after all that, especially the part of me admitting I was wrong.

"Get up. Just … learn to listen." And then he walked away.

We reunited with the rest of the army later that day, and began setting up camp in an abandoned village. The local Garrison Hq here wasn't big enough for all of us, so it was only the commander's squad and the special operations squad who could stay.

Despite the fact that Titans can't function at night and knowing full well we are actually safe, I couldn't sleep. Being at death's doorstep make you … realize things. Captain Levi was right. I do need to listen. It was my recklessness that almost got me killed.

Finally giving up on trying to sleep, I decided to walk around. I found a rag, somehow and started cleaning the old dining area. Five months' worth of dust was waiting for me, but I couldn't care less. I need something to do.

"Can't sleep?"

"Ah!" I wasn't alone. Captain Levi was here. Why? Instead of answering that I just nodded.

"I see you finally stopped your whining." Despite that being incredibly annoying, I actually smiled. Well, at least I think it should have annoyed me yet I feel nothing.

"Was I that loud every time I clean?"

"Yes. I was tempted only too many times to kick you out my squad. I have no need for a brat like you." He said, looking me straight in the eye.

"Why didn't you, then? Kicked me out?"

At that, though, he looked away. And silence passed that I thought he was never gonna answer but he did.

"Because you're actually good at cleaning." He said whilst looking at the wall, you'd think he was talking to it. In spite of the subtle insult there, I can't help but smile and feel the tiniest bit of pride at my work. Okay, not the tiniest. Captain Levi is the master of being clean, and having him praise my work is some kind of an achievement.

"Thank you." I said, before we both settled back into our silence.

"(Y/N), back me up!" Eld called. We were facing a 7-meter Titan. It was an abnormal, too. When he called me to back him up, that meant I should be in sync with him in disabling the Titan. We sped up to cut off its eyes when the damn Titan jumped out of the way. Good thing me and Eld didn't slit each other's throat when we almost collided.

We quickly recovered, and one look between us conveyed our next move. A faint, a smoke screen and then bam! I went in for the nape!

"Finally!" I yelled, victoriously. "Area cleared!" I yelled out to my squad mates. We all then gathered around captain Levi.

"Good job, Eld!" Gunther said as he clapped Eld on the back.

"Thank you. But (Y/N) did a great job, too. After all, she dealt the killing blow."

"Whoa! That's your fifth kill, (Y/N). And it's only your first expedition." Petra mused.

"That's noth – "I tried to shrug it off, but Olou cut me off. That ass.

"That's nothing. Five kills aren't that amazing." Olou said haughtily, even crossing his arms for full effect.

"Funny you should say that, Olou." Eld said before he and Gunther burst into laughter. Once he was calm enough, he continued, "(Y/N), on this pig's first expedition you know what happened? He peed his pants!"

"Oh my goodness! Really?" That was probably the grossest thing I have ever heard. And to think I just saw people get eaten.

"Tsk. He reeked so bad, too." Levi added, a look of disgust on his face. "Picnic's over. We're heading to the left plank."

"Yes, sir!"

We all moved towards our horses, however Levi held me back.

"Hey brat!"

"Still?" I thought we _bonded_ last night. Well, maybe that was only me.

He sighed, as of what he was about to say is something so difficult and would contradict his principles. "You did great, (Y/N). You actually listened."

"Hey! You called me by my name for the first time!" I was wrong. This felt better than being praised for my cleaning skills. I was so cheered up that I was actually skipping!

"Idiot, I've called you by your name before. You just didn't listen."

"Well, sorry! Promise I'll listen better from now on."

To my great surprise, he actually smiled at that.


End file.
